Ties with others not at India's cost: Russia

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, JUNE 29. Russia has pledged to take into account India's security concerns in its relations with third countries. The Russian Defence Minister, Marshal Igor Sergeyev, assured his Indian counterpart, Mr. George Fernandes, that Moscow would not take any steps in its defence dealings with other countries that could impair India's security.

``Russia's friendship with any other country will not in any way affect its friendship with India,'' Mr. Fernandes said in reply to a question whether India was worried by Russian arms supplies to China. New Delhi had conveyed its concern to Moscow recently over Russian involvement in the development and arming of China's FC-1 jet fighter that Pakistan wants to acquire. Mr. Fernandes said he did not raise this issue with Marshal Sergeyev but the Russian side is said to have assured the Indian Minister that it would take care of India's concerns.

``As regards supplies of Russian-made weapons and military hardware to other countries, including China, Russia is above all guided by the principle of doing no harm to the existing Russian- Indian relations and maintaining stability in the region,'' General Leonid Ivashov, head of the Russian Defence Ministry's international department, told The Hindu.

Marshal Sergeyev also promised that a proposed Russian-American early warning missile centre would not be used to infringe on India's security. The centre is being set up by Moscow and Washington to monitor each other's missile launchings, but in theory can also be used to spy on missile programmes of other countries.

A Russian radar situated in Tajikistan can scan the whole of South Asia and the U.S. could get information on Indian missile tests if Moscow opens its monitoring data to Washington.

However, Marshal Sergeyev ruled out such possibility saying ``the early warning centre will only serve to monitor Russian and American launchings and will not in any way affect India,'' he told a joint press conference.

``The centre will also be open to other countries - we have already invited observers from Europe - and if India is interested it can send its observer.''

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